A Note for Tonight: Kendrick needs to go deep tonight after the bullpen was worked in last night’s extra inning victory. The bullpen pitched a total of seven innings last night, so they could use a good outing from Kendrick.

deGrom all but pitches around Utley, despite thick shadows formulating in front of him, ionly to face Howard, who, in this team’s Jekyll and Hyde performance, let alone Howard, who’s as frequent as that as he inhales and exhales goes opposite field to tighten it up.

Sure, you give Howard the props for the shot, but Utley gets a mention for encouraging the pitch around to set it up. Honestly, up 4, I don’t know why he pitched around Chase, especially with building shadows, but it sure looked like he did.

He DID pitch around him to get to the “Big Piece”. Teams do all the time to Howard. Who would (if you were a MLB pitcher) rather pitch to utley or the BIg Lug? Yeah Howard makes them pay for it every once in a while but it works most times.

Shame they couldn’t get it done with the top of the order, because now, you have to keep going to the well with Manship. He’s pitched well, including last inning against Wright et al, but how far can you press your luck? DeFratus is very unlikely after 2 innings last night. I guess worse comes to worse, and the game goes far enough, you use Hernandez, and worry about Monday later. But it looks like Manship’s game.

One way or another, this thing shouldn’t go more than 2 more innings. Didn’t get Carlyle to work enough last frame.

While I understand not wanting to go to Tony No Dad, since he had been used repeatedly, you must go for the win with a man on third, and pull a pitcher who rarely bats for someone like Mayberry who does. By not playing for the win here and trying to save Bastardo, since the ‘ship was on a roll, Sandberg shoots himself in the foot thrice:1) Manship grounds out; 2) he injures himself trying to beat out the groundout; and 3) it forces you to bring in Badtardo anyway, who, following his M.O. walks the lead batter, who eventually crosses the plate and makes every Phillies fan even more frustrated, as if that is possible.
Not to continue to critize Sandberg, but he preached a return to fundamentals, which I am all for since they had been lacking, but I have not seen it, especially with Revere. The guy makes some of the most non-sensical plays, routes, decisions, etc., – he fundamentally lacks on so many layers.
Ah, the team that Ruben built!

Revere’s a nice kid; bright and funny, too. Now that he’s finally hit for the cycle (over his career) I’d give him a shot doing color in the TV booth – but give him an extra 15 minutes to find the route up there.

Bastardo just needs a slightly larger plate (the umps would never notice the switch) – and he should only have to face 6’6″ batters with extremely short legs.

Time to give Sandberg a shot at 3rd base. The move may solve two position problems.

On a related note, why didn’t the PR folks announce that last Thursday’s game was Cesar Hernandez Bobblehead night?

Somebody should explain to the Phillies that attempting to tire out the competition with 14-inning games has one glaring flaw.

So far, AFW has correctly predicted the flow of this series yet he’s losing his bet with his Met’s fan friend. Time for an intervention.